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(No Model.)

R. A. BACON.

TOOTH PICK. y NO. 380,739. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

- INVENTOR.

Y ATTORNEY.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. BACON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOOTH-PICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 380,739, dated April 10, 1888.

Application filed January 21, 1888. Serial No. 261,497. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. BACON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toilet Articles, of which the followview of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, and Fig. 3 a section through X X on Fig. l. Referring now to the details of the drawings, A represents a handle, which may be 2 made of any desirable form, but preferably as shown in the drawings, and B isabow having a screw, b, fast therein, which screw passes through a hole, a, in the handle, and is secured therein by a milled nut, O. -Atthe side 0 of each end of the bow is a holdfast, D, which may be made in any suitable way; but I have shown it made of wire having one end inserted in the bow and riveted to hold it in place. Its inner side is made angular, as shown in Fig. 3, and with its lower portion quite close to the bow, so as to receive and tightly hold a thread or strand, E, of any suitable material, but preferably of floss silk. This thread or strand may of course be fastened in any suitable manner besides that shown; but I prefer to first pass it through holes I), and then loop it around the ends of the bow and between them and the holdfasts, and then force the strand down between them until it is securely clamped. The holes may, however, be dis- 4 5 pensed with; but I prefer to use them or some equivalent means to prevent the fioss from rising and thus becoming loose in the holdfast.

\Vith an instrument of this description the 0 matter accumulating between the teeth can be expeditiously and easily removed without the necessity of placing the fingers in the mouth, as is commonly practiced when using floss for this purpose. When used between the front 5 teeth, the bow will of course be parallel with the handle, but will be set at any desired angle for the back teeth, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When used between the back teeth, the bow may be adjusted to the desired angle and fixed there by tightening the nut, or the nut may be left loose, so as to allow the bow to turn slightly to accommodate itself to the position of the teeth.

For some purposes it may be advisable to use a thread of fine wire in lieu of the fibrous material heretofore described.

XVhat I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with ahandle, A, ofa bow, B, adjustably secured thereto and provided with a strand, E, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the handle A, of a bow, B, pivotally secured thereto, and a strand secured to the ends of said how, sub- 7 stantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, the toothcleaner herein described, comprising the handle A, the bow B, screw b, nut O, holdfast D, and strand E, all substantially as described. 83

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of January, 1888.

ROBERT A. BACON.

Witnesses:

, EDGAR J. NATHAN,

GEo. ENTREY. 

